Restaurant search site for food minorities

Supervisor / Recommender

Takako Doki

General Incorporated Association Japan Halal Business Association Secretariat Public Relations / Director

Click here for introduction

I am currently working as an editor. However, I experienced working as a cook in restrunts, hospitals, and catering industry. Looking back now, I was connected to the Idea of Hala, since then.
At one point, few decades ago, I worked in a cafeteria at an auction site. More than 60% of the visitors to the venue were foreigners, including many Muslims (There were mosque in the venue as well). I remember many people asked me about the food we serve, the types of meat and whether they are Hala qualified.
At a certain time, the cafeteria becomes lively like a festival. Because the Indian restaurant next door to the venue served food for free. Indian dish, such as biryani, curry and sweet drinks were served to the visitors. Over 100 foreigners dressed in red turbans, garabayas and folk costumes gathered in the cafeteria, and everyone had a great time surrounding the same table. Now I learned about Muslim culture, it was a fast-starting Iftar.
Also, I remember that many participants were only eating curry from the Indian restrunt, eventhough there were choices of other food. As I study about Halal, I learned that they did not chose to eat curry, but they did not have a choise. I personally think that they wanted to try some of the Japanese food, if they had a chose. I still regret that moment, when I could not do anything because of the lack of information. “Inconvenience” of food is quite different based on their cultural background, and therefore, I understand now, that it is crucial to create an environment where all people can enjoy delicious meal, regardless of their backgrounds.

In Japan, Halal food is still a minority. Many people from Muslim background visit Japan, but they fell enconvininet about it. Japan Halal Business Association advocates in the halal business: HAVO (Halal, Organic, Vegetarian, Allergy).
The idea is to aim to create products and services that many people can eat and use, regardless of their religion and various backgrounds.
Seeking for delicious, safe and secure meal is commonly shared through the nations. The time demand us to find new ways of living that transcend borders and religions. We hope that Halal will help eliminate food inconvenience and contribute to the harmony of the world where you can respect, coexist, and co-prosper with a more liberal idea to eating and enjoying food.

Second store of Bengal Bistro SUNALI @Honkomagome

SUNALI is an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant with 3 branch-stores in Tokyo. The main store is in Higashi Ikebukuro, and the Minami Otsuka store is a store called Bengal Bistro SUNALI with a halal supermarket.
And this Honkomagome store is the second store of Bengal Bistro SUNALI.

Bengali Bistro SUNALI Honkomagome Branch

It has over 100 types of Bengal cuisine and world liquor. Unlike the typical Indian restaurants, the interior is neat and has a clean-stylish atmosphere.

Enjoy Bengal local cuisine and world liquor

Vegetarian curry with plenty of vegetables is a popular healthy menu in the store. There are many vegan small plate dishes such as mashed baluta and stir-fried baji. Therefore, there are many female customers and repeaters.

The recommended items are Dry-curry Tehari, Kutch Biryani, and Plows. They are very particular about ingredients. For example, they use chinigra rice (scented rice from Bangladesh) for Beef Tehari.

Aloo Bharta

Beef Tehari set 1,000 yen (lunch menu)

Beef Tehari is a mixed-rice dish, cooked with beef, spice, and chinigra rice.
Melted collagen exudes from the softly boiled beef, which matches very well with rice.
Please try the delicious taste that is different from biryani.

Meat and Fish are cooked with its bones to emerge umami from the ingredients! Also, do not miss rare sweets you can only find in SUNALI.

SUNALI’s owner is Muslim and chef is from Kolkata. According to the owner, Mr. Raman, his hometown Bengal is located in the mouth of the River Ganze and surrounded by very fertile land. So fresh fish and vegetables can be cheaply purchased at the market.
Once fish is purchased, it will be pre-cooked with spices.

SUNALI’s Bengal curry uses bones of both meat and fish.
The meat is shredded with the bones and slowly cooked over time, making the meat soft and bringing condensed umami components to the curry.

2 curry set; Mutton curry (with bone)

2 curry set; fish curry (with bone)

We recommend the curry that uses Bengal’s national fish “Irish” and “Pangash” of the catfish family.
Pangash, a freshwater fish, is plump and has no odor, making it very easy to eat.

There is a liquor menu in the store, but all meals are halal. They also use halal meat, so it is safe for Muslims.

Mutton biryani set 990 yen (lunch menu)

This is “Dahi,” a special Bengal-style yogurt made by SUNARI. Rather than yogurt, it has a rich, smooth taste. SUNARI’s recipe adds spice to Dahi, which enhances the flavor.

“Dahi”

Other traditional Bengal desserts such as Kacha Golla and Shondesh are also available. It seems that local dishes of the Bengal region are reproduced with a focus on the ingredients so that you can feel “Sional Bangla” (Golden Bengal) in each dish.

Sneak into a staff-menu Bengal bistro that is not on the menu

At Bengal Bistro SUNALI, regular customers and staff sometimes eat something like “Makanai” (staff menu) that is not on the menu.
On this day, I tasted the fish soup curry that the owner was eating. The whole sardine and the softly boiled daikon(Japanese radish) was very tasty! The sourness and spices of tomatoes were bringing perfect balance to the curry.

Fish soup curry

I am surprised by the depth of the taste, brought by the variety of spices used in the curry. The shop staff is a little shy but they are all friendly so please feel free to talk to them!
You can also learn about Muslim custom/traditon and Bengal cuisine.

「 Bengali Bistro SUNALI Honkomagome Branch」Basic information

Store name	Bengali Bistro SUNALI Honkomagome Branch
Tel	03-6912-1317
Address	2-1-4 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Ogawa Building 1F
Business hours	11:00~23:00
Holiday	Irregular holidays
Budget	Lunch ～1,380yen　Dinner～3,500yen
Payment method	Credit Card Available
Parking Lot	N/A
Language	Japanese, English, Bengali
Advance reservation
Cooking description	Bengal Local Cuisine and World Liquor
Note	25seats　Open@6/25
Store HP